The British Standards Institution (BSI), the UKs national standards body, announced on July 21, 2025, the introduction of a new, first-of-its-kind standard for auditing artificial intelligence systems. This move, reported by The Financial Times, is a response to the so-called "wild west" of the AI market, where company claims of their products being "ethical," "reliable," and "safe" often lack an objective and verifiable basis. The goal of the new standard is to establish clear, reliable, and independent procedures for the verification and validation of AI solutions. The standard defines a methodology by which independent auditors can assess AI systems against a range of critically important parameters. These include: data governance (origin, quality, privacy), fairness and bias, robustness and resilience to attacks, transparency and explainability, as well as accountability and the presence of human oversight mechanisms. Companies will be able to undergo voluntary certification against this standard to prove to their customers and regulators that their AI solutions are developed and operated responsibly. The standard is expected to be fully published and come into effect by July 31, 2025. The introduction of such a BSI standard is a crucial step towards creating a civilized and trustworthy AI market. It provides companies with a clear benchmark for responsible development and consumers with a reliable criterion for choosing AI products, reducing risks and increasing overall industry transparency.
British Standards Institution (BSI) Introduces New Standard for AI Auditing
